Biomaterial Database

Insights into the B cell specific process of immunoglobulin class switch recombination. 2011

Sven Kracker, and Anne Durandy

INSERM, U768, Hôpital Necker Enfants Malades, 75015 Paris, France.

Antibody maturation leads to the formation of B cell receptors (BCRs) with high affinity for antigen and the production of different Ig isotypes. The different antibody isotypes vary in activities (half-life, binding to Fc receptors, ability to activate the complement system) and tissue localization and thus are necessary for an optimal humoral response against pathogens. The molecular mechanism responsible for exchanging the Ig isotypes (IgM to IgG, IgA, or IgE) and at the same time retaining the antigen specificity and affinity is called Ig class switch recombination (CSR). In this review we discuss the molecular mechanism of CSR, with special focus on the enzyme activation induced cytidine deaminase (AID).

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007132	Immunoglobulin Isotypes	The classes of immunoglobulins found in any species of animal. In man there are nine classes that migrate in five different groups in electrophoresis; they each consist of two light and two heavy protein chains, and each group has distinguishing structural and functional properties.	Antibody Class,Ig Isotype,Ig Isotypes,Immunoglobulin Class,Immunoglobulin Isotype,Antibody Classes,Immunoglobulin Classes,Class, Antibody,Class, Immunoglobulin,Classes, Antibody,Classes, Immunoglobulin,Isotype, Ig,Isotype, Immunoglobulin,Isotypes, Ig,Isotypes, Immunoglobulin
D007136	Immunoglobulins	Multi-subunit proteins which function in IMMUNITY. They are produced by B LYMPHOCYTES from the IMMUNOGLOBULIN GENES. They are comprised of two heavy (IMMUNOGLOBULIN HEAVY CHAINS) and two light chains (IMMUNOGLOBULIN LIGHT CHAINS) with additional ancillary polypeptide chains depending on their isoforms. The variety of isoforms include monomeric or polymeric forms, and transmembrane forms (B-CELL ANTIGEN RECEPTORS) or secreted forms (ANTIBODIES). They are divided by the amino acid sequence of their heavy chains into five classes (IMMUNOGLOBULIN A; IMMUNOGLOBULIN D; IMMUNOGLOBULIN E; IMMUNOGLOBULIN G; IMMUNOGLOBULIN M) and various subclasses.	Globulins, Immune,Immune Globulin,Immune Globulins,Immunoglobulin,Globulin, Immune
D008213	Lymphocyte Activation	Morphologic alteration of small B LYMPHOCYTES or T LYMPHOCYTES in culture into large blast-like cells able to synthesize DNA and RNA and to divide mitotically. It is induced by INTERLEUKINS; MITOGENS such as PHYTOHEMAGGLUTININS, and by specific ANTIGENS. It may also occur in vivo as in GRAFT REJECTION.	Blast Transformation,Blastogenesis,Lymphoblast Transformation,Lymphocyte Stimulation,Lymphocyte Transformation,Transformation, Blast,Transformation, Lymphoblast,Transformation, Lymphocyte,Activation, Lymphocyte,Stimulation, Lymphocyte
D008322	Mammals	Warm-blooded vertebrate animals belonging to the class Mammalia, including all that possess hair and suckle their young.	Mammalia,Mammal
D011947	Receptors, Antigen, B-Cell	IMMUNOGLOBULINS on the surface of B-LYMPHOCYTES. Their MESSENGER RNA contains an EXON with a membrane spanning sequence, producing immunoglobulins in the form of type I transmembrane proteins as opposed to secreted immunoglobulins (ANTIBODIES) which do not contain the membrane spanning segment.	Antigen Receptors, B-Cell,B-Cell Antigen Receptor,B-Cell Antigen Receptors,Surface Immunoglobulin,Immunoglobulins, Membrane-Bound,Immunoglobulins, Surface,Membrane Bound Immunoglobulin,Membrane-Bound Immunoglobulins,Receptors, Antigen, B Cell,Surface Immunoglobulins,Antigen Receptor, B-Cell,Antigen Receptors, B Cell,B Cell Antigen Receptor,B Cell Antigen Receptors,Bound Immunoglobulin, Membrane,Immunoglobulin, Membrane Bound,Immunoglobulin, Surface,Immunoglobulins, Membrane Bound,Membrane Bound Immunoglobulins,Receptor, B-Cell Antigen,Receptors, B-Cell Antigen
D003564	Cytidine Deaminase	An enzyme that catalyzes the deamination of cytidine, forming uridine. EC 3.5.4.5.	Cytidine Aminohydrolase,Aminohydrolase, Cytidine,Deaminase, Cytidine
D004260	DNA Repair	The removal of DNA LESIONS and/or restoration of intact DNA strands without BASE PAIR MISMATCHES, intrastrand or interstrand crosslinks, or discontinuities in the DNA sugar-phosphate backbones.	DNA Damage Response
D005786	Gene Expression Regulation	Any of the processes by which nuclear, cytoplasmic, or intercellular factors influence the differential control (induction or repression) of gene action at the level of transcription or translation.	Gene Action Regulation,Regulation of Gene Expression,Expression Regulation, Gene,Regulation, Gene Action,Regulation, Gene Expression
D006207	Half-Life	The time it takes for a substance (drug, radioactive nuclide, or other) to lose half of its pharmacologic, physiologic, or radiologic activity.	Halflife,Half Life,Half-Lifes,Halflifes
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man